Because of the severity of injuries often experienced in car crashes in New Jersey, it’s not uncommon for surgery to be required for a full recovery. And since you’re likely disoriented and possibly in shock after the collision, it might be hard to tell how severe the damage is right away.
Head, brain and neck
The injuries suffered in motor vehicle accidents run the gamut since your entire body is involved in the crash and impact may come from any direction. Some of the most frequently experienced are head, brain and neck injuries, also known as TBIs. These parts of your body are particularly vulnerable because of where they’re positioned.
Traumatic brain injuries have a tendency to progress rapidly and may lead to lifelong trauma if left untreated. In some cases, brain surgery may be necessary and even life-saving. It may take multiple surgical procedures to repair fractures in the skull.
If you’ve suffered a neck injury, you might require:
- Plates
- Fusions
- Implants
- Bone grafts
Whiplash and concussions are often experienced in a car crash. Headaches and confusion are two potential indicators of a deeper problem that may take surgical intervention to solve.
Broken or fractured bones might require surgery for them to heal properly. Damage to the teeth is also common, requiring dental surgery to fix broken teeth or replace missing ones.
Soft tissue and internal organs
Injured soft tissue includes muscles, ligaments and tendons. Serious soft tissue injury is more serious than just bruising or swelling. If you don’t seek treatment for soft tissue injury, it has the potential to get worse.
If your internal organs have been injured, surgery is needed immediately because you may be bleeding internally. One of the dangers with these types of injuries is that it’s harder to tell how much damage has been done since it’s all happening on the inside.
Disfigurement and spinal injuries
People who experience disfigurement in an accident usually have suffered injuries to the face, chest, hands, arms or neck. This can happen from scrapes, burns or cuts from broken glass. Reconstructive plastic surgery may be used in the form of skin grafts to cover burns and even repair airways.
Since you’re seated upright, the sheer physics of the car crash puts your spinal cord at risk. Tissue can be torn, or you may suffer a herniated disc or annular tear.